MEMA: Utilities work to restore power to more than 120,000 in wake of storm

Tuesday

Oct 31, 2017 at 11:47 AMOct 31, 2017 at 12:11 PM

Winds to pick up Tuesday, temperatures to drop overnight making outages a concern.

A powerful storm brought high winds and heavy rain to the New England region Sunday and Monday, resulting in significant power outages across Massachusetts. Restoration and damage assessment continues, with progress made overnight.

Winds will pick up again during the day today, with 25-40 mph gusts over much of the state. Temperatures tonight will drop into the upper 20s to mid 30s. This could be a concern for those who are without power.

For a complete local forecast visit our media partner, WCVB.

Utilities update (as of 8:30 a.m.)

Total Mass. outages are currently 124,346. This is a decrease of about 200,000 outages from yesterday morning’s high of approximately 320,000.

· National Grid: 110,589

· Eversource East: 13,754

· Eversource West: 3

· Unitil: 0

Eversource update:

· East (formerly NSTAR)

o All 5 MA Emergency Operations Centers will remain open

o All community liaisons remain active

o Plymouth, Duxbury, and Cape Cod are the worst hit areas

o Power expected to be restored by midnight tonight

· Central

o Power expected to be restored by noon today.

· West (formerly WMECo)

o Power expected to be restored by noon today.

National Grid update:

· All community liaisons remained active overnight.

· Opened storm rooms in Brockton, North Andover, Worcester, and Hopedale.

· Focused on public safety and securing wires down (Halloween is today and raising a public safety concern)

· National Grid conducted a storm call at 8 a.m..

· Restoring critical facilities and working with communities

· Tree damage is the leading cause of outages

· Damage assessment is ongoing and global restoration times are expected today, with more location specific restoration times (town level) by tomorrow.

Both Seabrook and Pilgrim nuclear power plants report they are online and stable.

Preparedness and Safety Information

Power may not be restored to all homes for another one to three days. Accordingly, MEMA is encouraging people who do not have power to make appropriate plans. Residents without power may wish to leave their homes until power is restored and stay with friends, family, neighbors, or in a hotel. Residents may also call their local public safety officials or 2-1-1 to find out if their community, or another community in their region, is operating a warming center or overnight shelter.

Power Outage Safety Tips

· Call 9-1-1 to report emergencies including downed power lines or if you are dependent on equipment that requires electricity and you need medical assistance.

· Call your utility company to report power outages and get restoration information. Do not call 9-1-1 to report an outage or to ask about power restoration.

· Stay away from downed utility wires. Always assume a downed power line is live.

· If a traffic light is out, treat the intersection as a four-way stop.

· Take recommended safety precautions when using space heaters, a fireplace, or a woodstove to heat your home. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

· Use generators and grills outside because their fumes contain carbon monoxide. Make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are working as it is a silent, odorless, killer. See more Generator Safety Tips.

· If possible, use flashlights instead of candles. If you must use candles, place them in safe holders away from anything that could catch fire. Never leave a burning candle unattended.

· Be a good neighbor. Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially the elderly, those who live alone, those with medical conditions, and those who may need additional assistance.

The Town of Hanover opened a warming center at the Hanover Senior Center (655 Center St.) at 8 a.m.

MEMA Operations

The State EOC returned to Level 2 (Partial Activation) at 7 a.m. this morning. The following agencies and organizations are present in the SEOC:

· MEMA

· American Red Cross

· Department of Environmental Protection

· Department of Public Health

· Department of Public Utilities

· Eversource

· MassDOT

· National Grid

Communities wishing to share information or request assistance can do so via WebEOC or by contacting the SEOC through MEMA’s 24/7 Communications Center at 508-820-2000.

Stay Informed

For additional information and updated forecasts, see www.weather.gov/boston (National Weather Service Taunton) and www.weather.gov/albany (National Weather Service Albany)

Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.

Utilize MEMA’s real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html